Base for swivel chairs



June 1931- s. c. BRAINARD ET AL 1,310,817

BASE FOR SWIVEL CHAIRS Filed Aug. 7. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gauge QBraz'na/d Jason J7. Zith,

J1me 1931- GUC. BRAINARD ETAL 1,310,817

BASE FOR SWIVEL CHAIRS Filed Aug. 7, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,I,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII III."

June 1931. G. c. BRAINARD ET AL 1,810,817

BASE FOR SWIVEL CHAIRS V Filed Aug. '7, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Mani/Km (56023 6 Qflrazlnard;

June 16, 1931. e. c. BRAINARD ET AL 1,810,817

BASE FOR SWIVEL CHAIRS Filed Aug, 7, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 amnion Patented June 16, 1931 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE C. BRAINABD AND JASON A. FITCH, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOBS TO THE GENERAL FIREPROOFING COMPANY, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO BASE FOR SWIVEL CHAIRS Application filed August 7, 1930. Serial No. 473,665.

' the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompany ing drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views Figure 1 is a top plan view of a chair base constructed in accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan view of the reinforcing plate structure for the center of the chair base according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Figure 9 is a vertical section through the tube element of the chair base, prior to the same being operatively incorporated in the base.

Figure 10 is a plan view of one of the caster sockets.

Figure 11 is an end view of one of the caster sockets. 1

Figure 12 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a slightly modified form of the reinforcing plate structure for the center of the chair ase.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Fig. 4 through the structural embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 12; and

Figure 14 is a plan view of the reinforcing plate shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

According to the present invention, a blank of sheet metal of suitable gauge and of proper size and shape from which to produce the chair base,-is pressed or otherwise formed to comprise a central portion A having radiating therefrom a plurality of legs B.

The legs B, which are duplicates of one another, are of substantially inverted U- shape in cross section and are formed to extend downwardly at a suitable slight inclination towards their outer ends, where they terminate in more abruptly downturned terminal portions 1).

Each leg is inclusive of a top wall 10 and a pair of side walls 11, 11 and, as shown, the adjacent side walls of adjacent legs are formed as curved continuations of one another at the central portion A of the structure, these curved continuing or connecting portions, designated as 12, defining the width of the central portion A between the legs B.

Preferably, the top wall 10 of each leg B is pressed to form a plurality of longitudinally extending scui'l' ribs 13 at the outer end thereof to prevent marring of the surface between said ribs and to avoid the necessity of using a separate scufl' plate to cover the outer tion to stiffen and reinforce the outer ends of the legs B, and within the thus stiffened and reinforced outer end portion 6 of each leg is suitably secured, as by welding, a caster socket 14. v

At its bottom, each side wall 11 of eabh leg B is bent inward to provide a stiffening flange 15 of any suitable width, and, as shown, these stiffening flanges extend from the outer ends of the respective side walls 11 inward approximately to the points where said side walls 11 meet the curved continuing or connecting portions 12 of related pairs of said walls. Inward from thesepoints, that is,

inward of the inner edges of the flanges 15,

1 the curved side wall portions 12 are unflanged and are step d upward slightly above the flanged low i' edgesof the side walls 11, 11; i. 0., the lower edges of the curved portions 12 terminate slig tly above the lower edges of the side walls 11, as indicated at 16 in-Fig. 2 of the drawings. 1

. Referring now particularly to Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings, C designates generally a s acing and reinforcing plate structurefor t e lower part of the central portion A of the chair base, this structure comprising, according to one ractical embodiment of the invention, a pair of nested plates 17 and 18 conforming, as viewed in plan, to the horizontal contour of the lower part of the central portion A and, as viewed in side elevation, conforming'to the vertical contour of the lower part of said central portion A. These lates are provided with u turned marginal anges 19 and 20, respectlvely, and, as shown, the flanges 19 of the outer or lower late are substantially equal in height to the 'stance from the unflanged lower edges of the curved portion 12 of the leg sides to the lower edges of the flanged portions 11 of said leg sides, while the flanges 20 of the inner or upper late extend a suitable distance above the anges 19.

The plate structure G- is adapted to be inserted into the lower central portion A of the chair base, and when thus properl inserted, the upper edges of the flan es 19 o the lower or outer plate 17 abut the lower edges of the curved side walls 12 of said central portion and said flanges form substantial flush continuations of said curved walls in a downward direction, while the bottom of said plate 17 is disposed flush with the leg flanges 15, and the flanges 20 of the inner or upper plate 18 telesco 4 portions 12 with their outer faces snugly engaged against the inner faces of said curved walls 12.

Central openings are formed in the top wall of the central portion A and in the nested plates 17, 18, and prior to inserting the plate structure G into the central portion A, a sleeve D is alined with said 0 enings so that its ends will extend respective y through said openings above the top of the central portion A and below the bottom of the plate structure C when said plate structure 1s inserted as heretofore described.

Formed adjacent to the ends of the tube D within the curved side wall portion A as described, the seams between the abutting ed s of the curved side wall portions 12 an the flanges 19 are welded, as indicated at 23, and the ends of the tube D are rolled outward or spun over against the top of at the same time provides, through the instrumentality of the tube D, means whereby the swivel pm of a chair bottom may readily be connected with the chair base.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the top wall of the central portion A is centrally dished upward, as at 25 and the plates 17, 18 are centrally dished downward, as at-26, to further increase the stiffness and the rigid ity and strength of the central portion A.

Instead of the plate structure G comprising a pair of nested plates as heretofore described, said structure may consist of only a single plate C as illustrated in Figs. 12 to 14 of the drawings, in which event said late preferably is formed of greater thic ess than either of the plates 17 or 18 and of a size to abut the lower edges of the curved side wall portions 12 to which it is adapted to be welded. In other respects it is substantially the same and operates in the same manner and for the same purposes as the plate struc-' ture C.

A chair base constructed as herein described and as shown in the drawings, wherein the central portion A and the legs B are pressed or otherwise formed from a single blank of sheet metal and which comprises in addition only the tube D and the central reinforcing plate structure C orC, ma be produced economically and is strong an durable and is thoroughly satisfacto in use.v 1 Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the mvention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

We claim 1. A base for swivel chairs comprising a central portion and a plurality of legs formed in one piece with said central portion, the legs being of inverted U-shape in cross section and each comprising a top wall and a pair of side walls, the adjacent side walls of adjacent legs being connected with and forming integral continuations of one another, and a reinforcing plate structure secured at the bottom of said central portion, said plate structure having side portions disposed flush with the outer faces of the connecting portions of the side walls of said legs.

2. A base for swivel chairs comprising a central portion and a plurality of legs formed in one piece with said central portion,

the legs being of inverted U-shape in cross the bottom of said central portion, said plate structure having side portions disposed flush with the outer faces of the connecting portions of the side Walls of said legs, and further having other side portions extending upwardly into snug overlapping engagement with the inner faces of said leg connecting portions.

central portion and a plurality of legs formed in one piece with said central portion, the legs being of inverted U-shape in cross section and each comprising a top wall and a pair of side walls, the adjacent side walls of adjacent legs being connected with and forming integral continuations of one another, and a reinforcing plate structure for said central portion cooperating with the lower parts of said leg side wall connecting portions, said structure comprising a pair of inner and outer nested plates having upturned marginal flanges, the flanges of the outer plate having their upper edge disposed in abutting relation to the lower edges of said leg side wall connecting portions, and the flanges of said inner plate extending upward in overlapping snug engagement with the inner faces of said leg side wall connecting portions.

4. A base for swivel chairs comprising a central portion and a plurality of legs formed in one piece with said central portion, the legs being of inverted U-shape in cross section and each comprising a top wall and a pair of side walls, the adjacent side walls of adjacent legs being connected with and forming continuations of one another, a reinforcing plate structure conforming in contour to said central portion and secured to lower portions of the connecting or continuing parts of the side walls of said legs, and a vertical tube extending through said central portion upwardly through the top wall of the latter and downwardly through said plate structure, said tube having abutments respectively engaging the under face of the top wall of said central portion and the upper face of said plate structure and having its ends rolled over against the upper face of the top wall of said central portion and the under face of said plate structure, respee tively.

5. A base for swivel chairs comprising a central portion and a plurality of legs formed in one piece with said central portion, the legs being of inverted U-shape in cross section and each comprising a top wall and a pair of side walls, the adjacent side walls of adjacent legs being connected with and forming integral continuations of one another, a reinforcing plate structure secured at the bottom of said central portion, said plate structure having side portions disposed flush with the outer faces of'said connecting portions and constituting downward extensions of said connecting portions, said plate structures further having other side portions extending upwardly into snug overlapping engagement with the inner faces of the connecting portions of the side walls of the legs, and the bottom face of said plate structure being disposed flush with the bottom edges of said legs. 3. A base for swlvel chalrs comprising a.

6. A base for swivel chairs comprising a central portion and a plurality of legs formed in one piece withsaid central portion, the legs being of inverted U-shape in cross section and each comprisin a top wall and a pair of side walls, the ad acent side walls of adjacent legs being connected with and forming integral continuations of one another, a reinforcing plate structure secured at the bottom of said central portion, said plate structure having side portions disposed flush with the outer faces of said connecting portions and constituting downward extensions of said connecting portions, said plate structure further having other side portions extending upwardly into snug overlapping engagement with the inner faces of the connecting portions of the side walls of the legs, and the bottom face of said plate structure being disposedflush with the bottom edges of said legs, the side walls of the legs outwardly of said plate structure being provided at their bottoms with inwardly directed reinforcing flanges.

7. A base for swivel chairs comprising a central portion and a plurality of legs formed in one piece with said central portion, the

legs being of inverted U-shape in cross section and each comprising a top wall and a pair of side walls, having inturned flanges at their bottom edges, the adjacent side walls of adjacent legs being connected with and forming integral continuations of one another, and a reinforcing plate structure secured at the bottom of said central portion, said plate structure having side portions disposed flush with the'outer faces of the connecting portions of the side walls of said legs and the bottom face of said plate structure being disposed flush with the bottom faces of said flanges.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

GEORGE C. BRAINARD. JASON A. FITCH. 

